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Dharculus
Dharculus Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar) Hit Dice: 10d8+50 (95 hp) Initiative: +5 Speed: 25 ft (5 squares) Armor Class: 18 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +9 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 17 Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+27 Attack: Tentacle +18 melee (1d4+9) Full Attack: 6 tentacles +18 melee (1d4+9) or bite +12 melee (2d10+9) Space/Reach: 15 ft/10 ft (20 ft with tentacles) Special Attacks: Ethereal snare, improved grab Special Qualities: All-around vision, immunities, partial etherealness Saves: Fort +12 Ref +8 Will +9 Abilities: Str 29, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 16 Skills: Escape Artist +12, Hide +6, Knowledge (the planes) +14, Listen +19, Move Silently +10, Search +20, Spot +23, Survival +15, Swim +22 Feats: Ability Focus (ethereal snare), Alertness, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (tentacle) Environment: Far Realm Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 9 Treasure: None Alignment: Always chaotic neutral Advancement: 11-20 HD (Huge); 21-30 HD (Gargantuan) Level Adjustment: +10 This massive creature looks something like a huge, floating worm. One end of its cylindrical body loops backward, and features a horrible, drooling maw filled with razor-sharp teeth. Attached to the other end is a sort of fused braid of several mawed tentacles, which resemble a swarm of blind eels. Some of these tentacles are tipped with lidded eyes instead, which constantly scan the area around them. The dharculus is a bizarre monster that spends most of its time “swimming” in the border Ethereal Plane hunting creatures on the Material Plane. These utterly alien creatures come from a reality far removed from the Material Plane, and perhaps the planes as we know them. Thus far, the dharculi have congregated only near their point of entry into our reality in the border Ethereal from their own Far Realm. Perhaps they are dependent somehow on their homeworld and do not want to stray too far from it, but this is unknown. The physiology of the dharculus is alien and perhaps incomprehensible. It is known that they feed at every opportunity, regardless of the power or status of its intended victims. It is not known how they reproduce, but there may be significant danger if they are able to reproduce while on the Ethereal Plane. Thus far, no dharculus has been able to enter the Material Plane, but the day may come when such an alarming event might occur. A dharculus is 30 feet long, and its tentacles can be anywhere from 2-10 feet long. COMBAT To hunt creatures on the Material Plane, the dharculus inserts its mawed tentacles into minute holes in the Ethereal Plane. It may send any or all of its six tentacles through. The dharculus uses its five eye tentacles to search the mists of the Ethereal Plane for its next victim, and does not send them to the Material Plane. Those on the Material Plane might mistake the tentacles as a school of blind, flying eel creatures. Each of these tentacles can attack independently, and the dharculus attempts to attach these tentacles to victims, that it may drag victims onto the Ethereal Plane. The dharculus can be fully engaged on the Ethereal plane, as it can use its bite attack and creatures can attack the main body. An opponent can make sunder attempts against a dharculus' tentacles as if they were weapons. A dharculus' tentacles have 8 hit points. If a dharculus is currently grappling a target with one tentacle, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing a dharculus’ tentacle deals damage to the dharculus equal to half the tentacle’s full normal hit points. A dharculus usually withdraws from combat if it loses more than 3 tentacles. A dharculus regrows severed tentacles in 2 days, but only while it is fully on the Ethereal plane. If the dharculus is killed, its victims are stranded on the border Ethereal, unable to return to the Material Plane unless they have the means to do so. However, characters may grasp any tentacles that the dharculus had inserted onto the Material Plane at the time of its death. A successful Climb check (DC 20) allows a character to pull himself pack onto the Material Plane, as if he were climbing a rope. These tentacles only remain 1d4 rounds each before receding back into the deeper Ethereal with the main body. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a dharculus must hit a creature with a tentacle attack. It can attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and attaches the tentacle to the opponent. If a dharculus begins its turn with at least one tentacle attached, it can try to attach two additional tentacles with a single grapple check. The opponent can escape with a single successful grapple check or Escape Artist check, but the dharculus gets a +2 circumstance bonus for every tentacle that was attached at the beginning of the opponent's turn. Every tentacle that is removed in this way deals an additional 1d4 damage to the victim from the teeth ripping flesh away. Ethereal Snare (Ex): A dharculus that begins its turn with three or more tentacles attached and that makes a successful grapple check can attempt to force an opponent onto the Ethereal Plane. The victim must make a Will saving throw (DC 20) to avoid being forced onto the Ethereal Plane. The save DC is Charisma-based. All-Around Vision (Ex): A dharculus can see in all directions at once. Because of this, it has a +4 racial bonus on Search and Spot checks, and it cannot be flanked. Immunities (Ex): A dharculus is immune to all mind-influencing effects (including charms, compulsions, phantasms, and morale effects.). Partial Etherealness (Su): A dharculus can exist partially on both the Ethereal plane and the Material plane. While the dharculus is on the Ethereal plane, it can shift any and all of its mawed tentacles onto the Material plane as a free action, and shift any or all of them back again as a move equivalent action. Only creatures on the Material plane can attack the tentacles while they are on the Material plane. With its tentacles, the dharculus can drag along any being that failed its saving throw against the ethereal snare attack, as well as any being that does not resist (including unconscious or dead characters). This ability is otherwise identical with ethereal jaunt cast by a 15th level sorcerer. Originally found in Gates of Firestorm Peak (1999, Bruce R. Cordell) and Monstrous Compendium Annual Four (1998). Category:Outsiders Category:Inhabitants of the Ethereal Plane